overdiagnosing autism?

My sil is 29 and scared to death of having an autistic baby. She's not preg yet. I think she listens to peoples stories too much and doesn't do any research. Personally I feel like autism dianoses are being handed out like ADHD a few years ago. Autism is very real and very serious, but I know some of the "autistic" kids at my kids school act and achieve the same as my "normal" kids.

Anyone have any info or opinions on autism possibly being overdiagnosed in recent years?

My sil is 29 and scared to death of having an autistic baby. She's not preg yet. I think she listens to peoples stories too much and doesn't do any research. Personally I feel like autism dianoses are being handed out like ADHD a few years ago. Autism is very real and very serious, but I know some of the "autistic" kids at my kids school act and achieve the same as my "normal" kids.

Anyone have any info or opinions on autism possibly being overdiagnosed in recent years?

Autism diagnoses have risen dramatically in the past few years, but it's mainly because doctors have found through research that, like many mental and social disorders, there is a spectrum. Autism is not like cancer or diabetes, where you either have it or you don't. Autism can vary from a very high-functioning form to being severely debilitating. Now that doctors have identified separate forms of autism, we are seeing more diagnoses. It doesn't necessarily mean that the prevalence of autism is going up, just that we now know more about it than we did before. And when we know better, we can do better. That means that children are now getting more help than ever for language and/or social delays, which is a good thing. :)

Autism diagnoses have risen dramatically in the past few years, but it's mainly because doctors have found through research that, like many mental and social disorders, there is a spectrum. Autism is not like cancer or diabetes, where you either have it or you don't. Autism can vary from a very high-functioning form to being severely debilitating. Now that doctors have identified separate forms of autism, we are seeing more diagnoses. It doesn't necessarily mean that the prevalence of autism is going up, just that we now know more about it than we did before. And when we know better, we can do better. That means that children are now getting more help than ever for language and/or social delays, which is a good thing. :)

So her fear of having a child with severe autism is still somewhat unfounded since a lot of these newly diagnosed cases are high-functioning cases? Like if a stat says 1 in X kids is autistic, that means anywhere along that spectrum, right?

So her fear of having a child with severe autism is still somewhat unfounded since a lot of these newly diagnosed cases are high-functioning cases? Like if a stat says 1 in X kids is autistic, that means anywhere along that spectrum, right?

I wouldn't say her fear is unfounded, because there is always a possibility that your child may be affected by any kind of disorder. There is often no way to know before birth, or even toddler age when the child starts to show these kinds of delays. Also, pregnant women often have fears that are very real to them individually. When I was pregnant with my first, I worked with a woman whose son was born without a left arm. I was absolutely terrified of the same thing happening to our child, until I saw on the ultrasound that our child did indeed have two arms and two legs.

That being said,yes, those statistics mean anywhere on the spectrum. I would try to reassure her that yes, most of these new cases of autism are high-functioning. These kids go to school, play sports, have friends, and do all the same things "normal" kids do. It just might take them a little longer to learn how to read or do long division. Or they might need a little extra help with social interactions. You could have an entire converstion with a child who is on the autism spectrum and never even suspect it.

I wouldn't say her fear is unfounded, because there is always a possibility that your child may be affected by any kind of disorder. There is often no way to know before birth, or even toddler age when the child starts to show these kinds of delays. Also, pregnant women often have fears that are very real to them individually. When I was pregnant with my first, I worked with a woman whose son was born without a left arm. I was absolutely terrified of the same thing happening to our child, until I saw on the ultrasound that our child did indeed have two arms and two legs.

That being said,yes, those statistics mean anywhere on the spectrum. I would try to reassure her that yes, most of these new cases of autism are high-functioning. These kids go to school, play sports, have friends, and do all the same things "normal" kids do. It just might take them a little longer to learn how to read or do long division. Or they might need a little extra help with social interactions. You could have an entire converstion with a child who is on the autism spectrum and never even suspect it.

I work as a consultant for children who are diagnosed with autism and I agree, there are more and more children being diagnosed who do not meet the diagnostic criteria. While there is a spectrum and some children with autism are very high functioning, I think it is inappropriately diagnosed in some children. Trust me, I can go on forever about this topic but I won't :) Here are a few important points:

Basically, there is said to be an "epidemic" of autism with higher and higher instances more recently. The fact is that with updates in the most recent diagnostic manual, the disorder is more recognized. It was once diagnosed as childhood schizophrenia but is now known to be autism. In addition to the broadening of the criteria to diagnose autism, requirements for reporting autism have also changed. It makes it appears as though we are experiencing an epidemic when in fact we are not. The theories related to autism being caused by the MMR diagnosis are also false the doctor who published this claim some years ago was found to have falsified data in order to support his claim, which resulted in him no longer being permitted to practice. The cause of autism is not known though there have been connections identified here and there that apply to small populations of children diagnosed. Mercury was actually removed from the MMR diagnosis in Japan many years ago and they have the same rate of autism that we do.

Having a child with autism must be a very challenging and life changing event for any parent, but these children are absolutely wonderful and have potential for so much more than many people realize. My husband and I have discussed this possibility and have come to the conclusion that we cannot control whether or not we will have a child with autism or with other disabilities and that we will just do the best possible job that we can do if this is the case. The children who I work with are wonderful and such a joy to spend time with.

Hope this helps!

I work as a consultant for children who are diagnosed with autism and I agree, there are more and more children being diagnosed who do not meet the diagnostic criteria. While there is a spectrum and some children with autism are very high functioning, I think it is inappropriately diagnosed in some children. Trust me, I can go on forever about this topic but I won't :) Here are a few important points:

Basically, there is said to be an "epidemic" of autism with higher and higher instances more recently. The fact is that with updates in the most recent diagnostic manual, the disorder is more recognized. It was once diagnosed as childhood schizophrenia but is now known to be autism. In addition to the broadening of the criteria to diagnose autism, requirements for reporting autism have also changed. It makes it appears as though we are experiencing an epidemic when in fact we are not. The theories related to autism being caused by the MMR diagnosis are also false the doctor who published this claim some years ago was found to have falsified data in order to support his claim, which resulted in him no longer being permitted to practice. The cause of autism is not known though there have been connections identified here and there that apply to small populations of children diagnosed. Mercury was actually removed from the MMR diagnosis in Japan many years ago and they have the same rate of autism that we do.

Having a child with autism must be a very challenging and life changing event for any parent, but these children are absolutely wonderful and have potential for so much more than many people realize. My husband and I have discussed this possibility and have come to the conclusion that we cannot control whether or not we will have a child with autism or with other disabilities and that we will just do the best possible job that we can do if this is the case. The children who I work with are wonderful and such a joy to spend time with.

The 'autistic' kids at your school are probably high functioning! My nephew has Aspergers and can pass as 'normal' but till you see those children out of their comfort zones you would probably not be able to tell! The Aspergers children are very very intelligent but are socially inapt! We went to a restaurant with him and he stood in the doorway flapping and rocking and crying, it took 20 minutes to calm him down and it was because there was an air conditioner over the door way and the heat freaked him out! His idea of initiating play was to either bite a child or blow a raspberry in their face, through early intervention he now knows to simply ask 'do you want to play with me' it is very rehearsed and robotic but he can do it and it is huge for his progress! These kids have been coached for years to get to where they are, and their natural intelligence shows in their grades!I know it would be a shock to have a child diagnosed with autism but I don't think there is any point worrying about it, if it happens you will love your child exactly the same as you did before you found out :)

The 'autistic' kids at your school are probably high functioning! My nephew has Aspergers and can pass as 'normal' but till you see those children out of their comfort zones you would probably not be able to tell! The Aspergers children are very very intelligent but are socially inapt! We went to a restaurant with him and he stood in the doorway flapping and rocking and crying, it took 20 minutes to calm him down and it was because there was an air conditioner over the door way and the heat freaked him out! His idea of initiating play was to either bite a child or blow a raspberry in their face, through early intervention he now knows to simply ask 'do you want to play with me' it is very rehearsed and robotic but he can do it and it is huge for his progress! These kids have been coached for years to get to where they are, and their natural intelligence shows in their grades!I know it would be a shock to have a child diagnosed with autism but I don't think there is any point worrying about it, if it happens you will love your child exactly the same as you did before you found out :)

I agree with BusyBee on this one. I don't think it's being over diagnosed, it's just more widely recognized now. My son is on the autism spectrum, but is considered mild-moderate. So far he does everything that other kids do, just at a much slower pace. Granted the chance of having an autistic child versus down's sydrome or other disabilities is very high which is why it's so important as parents to know early signs so the child can get proper therapy. My son was involved in therapy sessions through our under 3 state program since he was 17 months old. When he turned 3, he started going to pre-school. I honestly believe that he would not be as far progressed in his language and social behavior had it not been for the early intervention. He has met or exceeded all of his short term goals for development.

I agree with BusyBee on this one. I don't think it's being over diagnosed, it's just more widely recognized now. My son is on the autism spectrum, but is considered mild-moderate. So far he does everything that other kids do, just at a much slower pace. Granted the chance of having an autistic child versus down's sydrome or other disabilities is very high which is why it's so important as parents to know early signs so the child can get proper therapy. My son was involved in therapy sessions through our under 3 state program since he was 17 months old. When he turned 3, he started going to pre-school. I honestly believe that he would not be as far progressed in his language and social behavior had it not been for the early intervention. He has met or exceeded all of his short term goals for development.

I'm a psychologist and specialise in autism spectrum disorders with children under 5. As most of you have previously mentioned, it is more recognized more than before not overly diagnosed in my opinion. Speaking from experience, here in Canada, we will sometimes give out a diagnosis for children that even lie moderately on the spectrum due to the availabiltity of services that parents can get. Obviously the child needs to meet the critera, however I always tell the parents that after treatment (therapy) they can come back within 2-3 years and get re-evaluated in which I can then remove the diagnosis based on the new results.

I have worked with wonderful children who have made tremendous progress. I am aso talking about low-functioning children who had many sterotypical behaviours and were non-verbal who are now merely delayed in some spheres of development.

Having said that, I also work in the school system and can say that we are better at recognizing delays or problems that children exhibit, be it a language problem, an anxiety disorder, adhd you name it we can find something in 1 out of 3 children in a classroom. Awareness is key here in my opinion.

I'm a psychologist and specialise in autism spectrum disorders with children under 5. As most of you have previously mentioned, it is more recognized more than before not overly diagnosed in my opinion. Speaking from experience, here in Canada, we will sometimes give out a diagnosis for children that even lie moderately on the spectrum due to the availabiltity of services that parents can get. Obviously the child needs to meet the critera, however I always tell the parents that after treatment (therapy) they can come back within 2-3 years and get re-evaluated in which I can then remove the diagnosis based on the new results.

I have worked with wonderful children who have made tremendous progress. I am aso talking about low-functioning children who had many sterotypical behaviours and were non-verbal who are now merely delayed in some spheres of development.

Having said that, I also work in the school system and can say that we are better at recognizing delays or problems that children exhibit, be it a language problem, an anxiety disorder, adhd you name it we can find something in 1 out of 3 children in a classroom. Awareness is key here in my opinion.

My son had autism and although some days are rough I wouldn't change him! I love the sweet caring loving little guy just the way he is. And his sweetness shines through because he puts a smile on everyones face when they see him and he is everyones buddy!

My son had autism and although some days are rough I wouldn't change him! I love the sweet caring loving little guy just the way he is. And his sweetness shines through because he puts a smile on everyones face when they see him and he is everyones buddy!

Not exactly. It's not like ADHD which can be easily misdiagnosed. The thing is children who are suppected Autism DO have something but sometimes it's Asperger syndrom or other mental illnesses, sometimes as simple as hearing loss!

While a lot of Autism children can end up doing a lot of what others do they are NOT the same by all means. Their minds work very different. Like they can't typically handle a lot of noises, they have a lot ticks. Autism can be very hard on parents for they can sometimes flip out and can be hard to control at times.

There was a HUGE spike of Autism and much believe it had to do with vaccines. They removed the mercury BUT still will not take credit that the vaccine cost it even though plenty of parents have been awarded money by showing proof their child was normal before the shot and not normal after the shot. To be honest even if mercery caused any spikes in it I doubt they would really tell us honestly.

Autistic children are different the other children. It doesn't take to long to figure that out or children. And not that I would not love my child if they had Autism I pray that it's something I will too not have to deal with only because I know several parents who do and it's really really hard!

Not exactly. It's not like ADHD which can be easily misdiagnosed. The thing is children who are suppected Autism DO have something but sometimes it's Asperger syndrom or other mental illnesses, sometimes as simple as hearing loss!

While a lot of Autism children can end up doing a lot of what others do they are NOT the same by all means. Their minds work very different. Like they can't typically handle a lot of noises, they have a lot ticks. Autism can be very hard on parents for they can sometimes flip out and can be hard to control at times.

There was a HUGE spike of Autism and much believe it had to do with vaccines. They removed the mercury BUT still will not take credit that the vaccine cost it even though plenty of parents have been awarded money by showing proof their child was normal before the shot and not normal after the shot. To be honest even if mercery caused any spikes in it I doubt they would really tell us honestly.

Autistic children are different the other children. It doesn't take to long to figure that out or children. And not that I would not love my child if they had Autism I pray that it's something I will too not have to deal with only because I know several parents who do and it's really really hard!

I think it might be a bit of an injustice to say that autisum is over diagnosed because some of the kids you've observed in your kids school (how often do you really get to observe?) seem to achieve and act like "normal" kids.

I taught a wide variety of kids in my 7th and 8th grade classes...including 3 very different forms of Autism. They might be seen as "norma"l if you happened upon my (very well managed class). what you don't see is the intricate set up of my classroom to seat kids where they learn best. You don't see the first few weeks at school where we "practice" what is appropriate and inapproptriate behavior. You don't see the countless ARD meetings to learn the best way to teach these kiddos to reach their potenital. You might not notice the "normal" kids try their hardest to help these kids fit in!

While it may seem that Austims diagnosises are being handed out like crazy...I can't help but believe that the doctors and therapists are doing so to provide the greatest help they can for the child. I know in Texas...you NEED a diagnosis to be able to provide special services for things like testing. Even the slightest tendency toward the Autism Spectrum probably needs to be addressed on paper so that their TAKS testing can be modified (small group, separate testing, etc)

All of this being said, working with the kiddos with Autism that I've had...has taken a lot of the fear from me. They are "normal" kids in most ways...they just learn a bit differently. When you figure out the way they learn...the possibilities are endless!!

I think it might be a bit of an injustice to say that autisum is over diagnosed because some of the kids you've observed in your kids school (how often do you really get to observe?) seem to achieve and act like "normal" kids.

I taught a wide variety of kids in my 7th and 8th grade classes...including 3 very different forms of Autism. They might be seen as "norma"l if you happened upon my (very well managed class). what you don't see is the intricate set up of my classroom to seat kids where they learn best. You don't see the first few weeks at school where we "practice" what is appropriate and inapproptriate behavior. You don't see the countless ARD meetings to learn the best way to teach these kiddos to reach their potenital. You might not notice the "normal" kids try their hardest to help these kids fit in!

While it may seem that Austims diagnosises are being handed out like crazy...I can't help but believe that the doctors and therapists are doing so to provide the greatest help they can for the child. I know in Texas...you NEED a diagnosis to be able to provide special services for things like testing. Even the slightest tendency toward the Autism Spectrum probably needs to be addressed on paper so that their TAKS testing can be modified (small group, separate testing, etc)

All of this being said, working with the kiddos with Autism that I've had...has taken a lot of the fear from me. They are "normal" kids in most ways...they just learn a bit differently. When you figure out the way they learn...the possibilities are endless!!

_________________________________________________________________________________I am a Stay at Home mother of Cole (4), Natalie (2) and Katy Beth (May 2011)! I am also a fitness instructor (Turbo Kick, Aerobics, etc) and I am a Beachbody Coach! My blog: www.janetsfitnessblog.blogspot.com

From:
JameyO81

To: jamieraspotnik

Posted: Dec-20 11:31 AM (13 of 14)

I personally agree with all of you who say you will love a child no matter what. I have 3 kids and 1 more coming, and none have any diagnosed issues, but my oldest is an emotional handful. I also strongly believe that God will not give you more than you can handle. I think that belief will apply to my sil, as I don't know if she's strong enough to handle certain challenges. Kudos to you women who are strong enough to raise an autistic child (or any other challenged child).

I personally agree with all of you who say you will love a child no matter what. I have 3 kids and 1 more coming, and none have any diagnosed issues, but my oldest is an emotional handful. I also strongly believe that God will not give you more than you can handle. I think that belief will apply to my sil, as I don't know if she's strong enough to handle certain challenges. Kudos to you women who are strong enough to raise an autistic child (or any other challenged child).

I personally agree with all of you who say you will love a child no matter what. I have 3 kids and 1 more coming, and none have any diagnosed issues, but my oldest is an emotional handful. I also strongly believe that God will not give you more than you can handle. I think that belief will apply to my sil, as I don't know if she's strong enough to handle certain challenges. Kudos to you women who are strong enough to raise an autistic child (or any other challenged child).

I personally agree with all of you who say you will love a child no matter what. I have 3 kids and 1 more coming, and none have any diagnosed issues, but my oldest is an emotional handful. I also strongly believe that God will not give you more than you can handle. I think that belief will apply to my sil, as I don't know if she's strong enough to handle certain challenges. Kudos to you women who are strong enough to raise an autistic child (or any other challenged child).

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